November 2, 2007—Metafore announced the winners of its second annual Innovation Awards at the recent Green Power Corporate Climate Response Conference. This theme for this year’s awards was products and services “that reduce or offset climate change through new methods and processes.”
The winner for products is Catalyst Paper Corporation for Catalyst Cooled, manufactured carbon-neutral paper that premiered in June 2007 as part of a pilot project with Rolling Stone Magazine. Catalyst Cooled paper is referred to as “manufactured carbon-neutral” because there are no net greenhouse gas emissions associated with manufacturing it, says Metafore.
The winner for services is the Doubletree Hotel and Executive Meeting Center—Portland for its sustainability program that includes carbon reduction and reduced resource use throughout its operation. Doubletree quantifies its carbon footprint and offers carbon offsetting for groups, and received Green Seal certification for sustainability. In addition, Doubletree’s property-specific Carbon Calculator is the only fully customized Carbon Calculator uniquely engineered for a specific hotel, explains Metafore.
Doubletree has reportedly diverted kitchen waste into compost at an average rate of 14 tons per month, decreased its total energy consumption by 32 percent, subsidized mass transit cost for employees, implemented a comprehensive Environmental Purchasing Policy, and purchases 65 percent of its food products from within a 500-mile region.
The finalists were:
- Grays Harbor Paper for Harbor 100, a 100 percent post-consumer commercial printing and copy paper. Harbor 100 is manufactured using FSC certified pulp that is made with high grade office waste, with no virgin fiber used in its manufacture, points out Metafore. At the mill, 100 percent renewable carbon-neutral energy uses biomass, and all industrial waste from its production is land applied on Grays Harbor property. Grays Harbor has also recently purchased new semi trucks that run on biodiesel to regionally transport Harbor 100.
- International Paper Company for the development and commercialization of ecotainer, which uses modified Polylactic Acid (PLA) instead of polyethylene (PE). Ecotainer performs in the same manner as traditional packaging and provides comparable aesthetics. The product is composed of fully renewable resources, has a favorable lifecycle environmental footprint, and is biodegradable through municipal composting after use, says Metafore.
- The Center for Research, Conservation, and Management of Natural Areas (CIMA) for a strategy that this Peruvian conservation organization developed while working with a government agency. The agreement permanently protects Cordillera Azul, a 5,225-square-mile recently established national park of untouched forests and rivers, emphasizing local participation.
- Myllykoski North America for its Alsip Mill practices. Alsip diverts waste paper from landfills to produce coated groundwood paper with up to 100 percent recycled content. In its production processes, the Alsip Mill incorporates state-of-the-art de-inking technology that provides superior pulp for high-quality paper production. Alsip produces more than 150,000 tons of high-quality, coated groundwood environmentally friendly paper per year.
